Vehicle door catch mechanism



March 26, 1940. w. K. PACY VEHICLE DOOR CATCH MECHANISM Filed Jan. '22, 1938 WoJ+er Kenne+k Em \NVENTGQ "(5. WWR ed/J AT-Fy Patented Mar. 26, 1940 Walter Kenneth racy, Aylesbury, England Application January 22, 1933, Serial No. 186,262 In Great Britain October 19, 1937 1 Claim. 292-280) This invention relates to catch mechanism for retaining vehicle doors in the closed position, and has for its object to provide a mechanism of general utility which shall be of particular service for motorcar and other vehicle doors in place of the pivoted handles and slam looks at present in use. H Y

According, to the invention vehicle door catch mechanism is adapted to be actuated to release the door for opening by manual operation of a press button or the like carried by the fixed frame or pillar of the door, spring or equivalent means preferably being provided which are stressed while the door is shut and act to give an opening impulse to the door when the latter is released. i I

Such mechanism avoids the .use of the usual projecting door handles, which break the smooth surface of modern vehicle bodies, accumulate dirt, and are apt to constitute a danger to passers Figure l is a perspective view showing the fittings carried by the door and the fixed pillar respectively.

Figure 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of the external parts of the pillar fitting, I

I well be, sunk flush with the surface'thereof for the metal cover being removed, and

Figure 3 isa similar view ofthe parts lying behind those of Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 1 a'supporting' plate I is carried on the outer face of the plate I, and the parts carried on the inner face thereof are enclosed in an inner box 5' sunk' in the pillar 2.

The face of the door edge registering with the pillar 2 (shown as angularly displaced for clearness) is formed with a rectangular recess 6 adapted to fit over the cover 4 when the door is closed. The lower part of this recess accommodates a'curved finger l pivotally mounted at its forward end and having an upward projection 8 midway along its upper concave edge. The finger l is held down against a rubber pad 9 by a tension spring l0 while, the door is open.

Against the front face, of the plate I (Figure vertical A generallyrectangular cover 4, having.

anti-clockwise direction. As the door is closed the "free end of the finger 'l passes under the gages the wheel II and rotates it by one tooth, 5'

the pawl l2 being raised and when dropping into place again to hold the door closed. A rubber or felt pad, I4 is arranged toprevent the pawl I2 from bottoming between the teeth'of the Wheel ll, thereby avoiding the loud click char- 10 acteristic of motor car doors. f

The toothed wheel II is carried on a short spindle I5 passing rearwardly through an'aperture I6 in the plate I, and when the door is to be opened the spindle I5 is lifted bodily, and with it the wheel II and pawl I2, by means of the press button mechanism shown in Figure 3. The I finger I isfthus released, and the tension in the spring It] makes it react against the roller l3 in such a way as to cause the door to spring ajar go by six inches-or more.

v For this purpose the rear end of the spindle I5 is carried at an intermediate point in a horizontal pivoted lever I1, the free end of which has a pin and slot connection with the lower end of a vertical lever Ill. The latter is pivoted at a pointintermediate in its length and is adapted to be rocked in an anticlockwise sense, to raise the lever H, by the stem l9 of a press button 20 carriedv onthe outside of the pillar 2. In the drawings the button 20 is shown as projecting from the pillar 2 for the sake of clarity, but may neatness and to guard against accidental depression.

A second push button 2| is provided inside the car and its ste'm 22 bears against the lever [B below the pivot'point of the latter so that the door -may similarly be opened by an occupant of the car. The stems I9 and 22 slide in suitable cylindrical-housings, and carry collars 23'and 24 near their free ends to prevent their becoming withdrawn. a l V The lever i8 is biased in a clockwise sense by a blade spring 25 so that the toothed wheel I i 5 returns to its lowest position when the press buttons are'released, andit will be observed that the pinand slot connection between the levers IT and His such that the wheel II can be raised only by actuating a press button and is therefore bound to beturned by closing of the door. 1

The closed door may of course readily be locked for instance by applying to the exterior button a Yale lock mechanism (indicated-at in Figure 1) adapted to prevent it from being depressed. '5

I claim:

Catch mechanism for the hinged door ofa vehicle, comprising in combination a toothed wheel carried by the fixed frame of said door, a guide element mounted on said frame in spaced relationship to said wheel, an arm having one end thereof pivoted to said door, said arm being provided with a cam surface on one side thereof and with a tooth projecting from the other side at a point intermediate the pivoted and the free end of the arm, a spring holding said arm normally in a position in which said cam surface operates with said guide element to move the door 10 ajar.

- WALTER KENNETH PACY. 

